The Joy of Life
by Lenle.G
Summary: Sequel to The Pain of Life. Sasuke wakes up with a Naruto pillow, and as the blond runs out red-faced he realizes... he was only moments away from kissing him... but then Naruto gets sick and Sasuke's left to look after him.
1. Chapter 1

The Joy of Life

Sequel to _The Pain of Life_

Warm.

I was warm and comfortable, and a big, soft weight was sprawled across me. Urrrgh. I shifted slightly. Becoming aware of a pair of arms around my waist a knee between my knees, hands fisting into my PJ's. I peel my eyes open to meet a shock of blond. Fluffy and tickling my nose with its soft tips. _Naruto._ I became aware my own arms were wrapped around his shoulders and back, and his head was pressing into the soft skin of my shoulder.

_Hugging._

_I was hugging... Naruto._

I blush, my whole skin flushing a deep red and heating up, as I tried to untangle the mess of our limbs. Naruto groans and clutches tighter to me. I glance at the curtains, light streaming through the gaps. It's morning. Naruto presses himself unconsciously against my side, his leg locked around my own.

"Na...Na...Narutt..o" I give him a shake. "Oi, Naruto! Wake up!" I'm horribly aware of every part of my skin that brushes with his. A burning senation. He murmurs in his sleep and decides to kick me in the shin. _Ow._ "Naruto!" I consider kicking him back, but settle for poking him in the ribs. I'm even more aware of the shade of red my face his. "Wake up dobe!"

"Eh? Huh? Wha?" He rolls over sleepily at another jab in the ribs and his finds his face inches from mine. "Eh!" He jumps and our noses bash together. Fear flashes in his eyes for just a second before he recognises the owner of the dark hair. "Sas... Sasu..."The brilliant red colour he turns makes me splutter with laughter. "T...Te...Teme!" He yells, trying valiantly to unwrap his limbs from mine, and scooting backwards, staring at me in embarrassed horror, until he topples of the side of the bed, red-faced as I roll around laughing and wipe tears from my eyes. "Whhh...Wha?" he splutters from over the side of the bed, before his head pops up like a perky blond bunny rabbit to stare at me wide eyed and.. adorable. His cheeks and the bridge of his nose sport a hilarious red glow that clashed with the shock of spiky blond atop his head.

"D...dobe!" I stammer out between laughs and gasps for air "You... you... sleep hugger!" I didn't think it'd be possible for him to turn any redder, but I was now looking at a blond boiled lobster boy. He leaps up; his cheeks stained that deep red, and flees the room.

It's then I realise I'd been only moments away from kissing him.

_Idiot._

_What the hell was I thinking?_

...

Sasuke's face.

Sasuke's face had been inches from his own. Naruto stared at himself in the mirror. His cheeks flushing once more with a deep red stain. Sasuke's face had been so close to his own, and he'd want to... to...

Kiss him.

The red splash of colour spread across his face like water spilling.

"Naruto?" Itachi knocks on the door. "Are you alright in there" Naruto noticed how the red on his cheeks intensifies and he stammers out that yes, he's fine, and no, Itachi most definitely did not need to come in.

He'd locked himself in the bathroom for a reason...

_Sasuke..._

**...**

**...**

**A.N: Yey! It's a sequel (though I guess this could work as a standalone)! Finally! ... and this was a really short chapter... XD**

**Gonna be SasuNaru, not a Yaoi I'm afraid... as I'm terrible at writing it... XD**

**This one might not be updated as frequently as **_**The Pain of Life**_** was... got lots of CW to do and I'm working on my other Naruto story, **_**Bitter Sweet,**_** at the moment!**

**Oh! If you haven't read the previous one (as, if you haven't noticed by now... this is a sequel)... have a recap: in **_**The Pain of Life**_**, Naruto gets abused, the Uchiha's are nice people and it's all alright now... **_**or is it?**_

**Ok... so that was a terrible summary... just go and read **_**The Pain of Life**_** if you haven't already... XD**

**Oh! And drop me a review!**

**Did we like? Not like?**

**:D :D :D**


	2. Chapter 2

Two

His head hurt.

_Really hurt._

It was pounding in his forehead, his temples and the bridge of his nose. He rubbed a weary hand over his forehead. It was hot and sticky. His throat hurt. Like he'd been eating golf balls or something. Raw and scratchy. His nose was blocked up and horrible. He breathed heavily through his mouth. Looking back in the mirror, he noticed the red flush across his cheeks hadn't gone away, and he looked paler everywhere else. It was weird.

With a groan he stumbled out the bathroom and went splat on his orange covers._ He hurt._

He'd had a nightmare last night. Gone to Sasuke for comfort... almost unconsciously. He'd been half asleep and... It had been an automatic reaction. And then he'd woken up and...

_Urk._

He felt really awful.

"My heeeaad hurts." He moaned into the pillow and squeezed his eyes closed tightly. His nightmare flashed behind his eyelids and his whole body tensed up. His head pounded like a drum.

**Thump.**

_Kai was there. His stepfather. His abuser._

**Thump. Thump.**

_He had a gun._

**Thump.**

_He was laughing._

**Thump. Thump.**

_Laughing._

**Thump.**

_Orochimaru._

**Thump. Thump.**

_Tall and dark. His hands reaching towards..._

**Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump...**

His eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright. The strangled cry that was let loose turned into deep cough that wracked his chest with shivers and made a sick feeling clench in his stomach.

"Naruto?" dark eyes peered around the doorframe, "You all right?" Naruto flopped back down and grunted into his pillow in response. Itachi rolled his eyes and laughed. "Taken up the Uchiha grunting I see, I'm being dragged out to the shops with Mum, see you later. Try not to stay in bed all day, lazy!" Every word echoed in Naruto's head and he found himself groaning again. He threw a pillow at Itachi as the evil, evil man laughed and ducked back out the door. The pillow hit the wood of the door with a thunk as it snaps closed and Naruto can't be bothered to go fetch it.

He's not sure how much time passes.

Light streams in the window and persistently decides to hit his face at whatever angle he happens to roll at. He feels too hot under the covers. Too cold without them. The fabric itchy and rough, being dragged over his skin like sandpaper. He feels tired. So tired. His throats sore. He needs a drink. He can't find the energy to as much as sit up. He's so thirsty. His head hurts. Pounds. His throat feels hot and tight and he can't breathe out his nose. It feels like there an iron band tightening around his forehead.

"Urrrrk..." he rolls over and buries his face in the mattress, trying to avoid the blasted sunlight on his eyes. He finds he can't breathe like that, and rolls to the side again, mouth gaping like a fish out of water. But the suns in his eyes again. Burning through the tightly squeezed lids in red and blotchy patches. He rolls over again. The mattress seemed so lumpy. He rolls over once more. He just couldn't get comfortable. His chest felt tight.

_Hot._

_Cold._

_Uncomfortable._

_Hot._

_Cold._

_Uncomfortable._

_Hot._

_Cold._

_Unco..._

"Naruto...?"

_...mfortable_

_Hot._

_Cold._

_Uncomfor..._

"Naruto? You ok?"

_...table._

_Hot._

_Cold._

_Uncomfortable._

"Naruto!"

And someone was shaking him by the shoulders. They should stop that. _It hurt. He hurt. Stop it._

"Stoop'it" He flicked out his arm and tried to give them a good shove. They were disturbing him. Being annoying. He didn't want to get up. He felt ill.

"Naruto." The voice was stern and tined with a horrible sense of concern. "Naruto, hey." He found he'd been rolled onto his back by none-too gentle hands and a hot palm was being pressed to his forehead.

"Stopp't" he groans and flaps at the hand, squiggling away from it. His hands get slapped back.

"You've got a fever, you're ill, idiot." The voice was concerned and shaking "Why didn't you tell one of us, dobe? Hey... Naruto... hey, look at me... Naruto!" He got flicked on the nose, and he forced his eyes open in annoyance.

"Wha?" Startling blue eyes met coal black. Dark hair. Young face. Concerned eyebrows. "S'kay?"

"Yes, dobe, who else? What were you thinking...?"

"N't think'in. Head 'urt"

"Not thinking? That much is evident, idiot. Is there even a brain in there?" The tone was surprisingly affectionate. Almost kind. Caring. Worried. Weird...

A cold cloth, that he surmised to be his favourite orange flannel, met his forehead with a wet splat, and careful hands folded back his covers to his chest. Footsteps walked away, soft on the padded carpet. Curtains were drawn with a too-loud scrape. The pillow is plonked back onto the bed and his head is lifted up in an unexpectedly gentle manner and placed on it.

"S'kay..." He peels his eyes open again to look at him. The hand is on his forehead again. Naruto shrugs it off. The flannel is better. Cooler.

"You're really ill dobe." The look on Sasuke's face sends chills up Naruto's spine. Worry. Concern. Fear. "I'll get some medicine. Ok? ... ok dobe?" Naruto groans into the pillow. "Dobe? Dobe? Hey..."

"Yer.. f'ne..." Naruto's weak hand waves him off. "plze?"

"Yeah, sure..." And with a small smile Sasuke leaves.

Naruto buries his face back into the newly reacquainted pillow with another groan.

He just felt so... awful.

**...**

**...**

**A.N: Yo! Lenle's been off up and down the county with NO INTERNET (seriously – it was traumatizing stuff) ** oh... plus I'm ill... (laughs evilly and inflicts her cold on Naru-chan)** so it took me a while longer to update...! Sorry 'bout that, and that the chappie was so short! XD**

**Hopefully will have another one up tonight to make up for it! :D **

**If you liked it, drop moi a review! :D :D :D**

**Happy Christmas in advance! :D  
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	3. Chapter 3

Three

I'd been playing a video game. One on ninjas. Itachi and mum had gone shopping. Dad was at work. Just me and Naruto in the house. I'd gone downstairs after losing against the boss and resetting the game for the fourth time, to get some orange juice.

I thought Naruto might like some.

It was his favourite after all.

I poured him a glass, sticking it on a tray with mine and a couple of jammie dodgers, and climbed the stairs to his room. He'd not left it all day. I presumed he was gaming. I opened the door. It hits against a squishy object as I push it open. A pillow. I kick it out the way.

"Naruto." I look up. He was in bed. I sigh and roll my eyes. "I brought some orange juice." I throw in a smile for good luck.

No reply.

"Naruto?"

No reaction.

"Oi, dobe, juice."

Nothing.

I place the tray on his sideboard and go to poke the figure in the bed. A shock of blond hair is all that peeks out the covers.

"Naruto...?" the figure in the bed rolled over. "Naruto? You ok?" Roll the other way"Naruto!" Annoyed I shook his shoulder and flicked him on the nose as he muttered;

"Stoop'it" And an arm tired to push me away. I caught a glimpse of his face, sweaty and pale, with a horrible red blush across his cheeks and nose. _Was he sick?_

"Naruto? Naruto, hey." I roll him over despite him protests and failing limbs and press my hand to his forehead. It's hot and sticky. Naruto flaps around and shoves me off. _You're making this difficult dobe._ I grit my teeth. "You've got a fever, you're ill, idiot. Why didn't you tell one of us, dobe? Hey... Naruto..." Naruto rolled over and bashed him in the chin with a wobby fist, burring his face into the mattress._ Where was his pillow?_ "Hey, look at me... Naruto!" I flicked him on the nose, and I was rewarded with a pair of hazy blue eyes peeling open and a murmured;

"Wha? S'kay?"

"Yes, dobe, who else? What were you thinking...?" I roll my eyes. _The idiot, what was he thinking? Not telling us he was feeling ill. Stupid dobe..._

"N't think'in. Head 'urt" I let out a short bark of laughter at that.

"Not thinking? That much is evident, idiot. Is there even a brain in there?" I fetch his flannel from the bathroom, the orange one, and run it under the cold tap, then place it on his brow. I fold his covers back, and draw the curtains. His pillows lying by the door for some unbeknown reason or other and I slip my hand under his neck to lift it to push his pillow under. The hairs that card between my fingers are soft and fine and I find my fingers lingering there almost automatically. The skin beneath them in hot and sticky.

"S'kay..." Naruto picks that exact moment to open his eyes to reveal stunning blue. My heart stutters in my chest and I pull my fingers out from under his head to press them to his forehead. So hot._ I should get him some medicine._ Naruto flicks his head to one side and my hand slips off. I replace the flannel and he sighs softly, his breath puffing over my hand as I move it.

_Stupid dobe._

"You're really ill dobe." Bleary blue eyes focus on me. "I'll get some medicine. Ok...?" no reply "Ok dobe?" Naruto groans into the pillow. "Dobe? Dobe? Hey..."

"Yer.. f'ne..." Naruto waves weakly at me. "plze?"

"Yeah, sure..." I get up to fetch him some, trying to put a smile on my face for him. I collect a packet of paracetamol and a glass of water and make my way upstairs.

When he's taken his medicine, he falls asleep.

I sit by his side and stroke his hair. Soft and blond and perfectly...

_Naruto._

**...**

**...**

**A.N: Short again, but hey, two updates in one night is nice, eh?**

**Tell Lenle what you think! Drop me a review! :D **


	4. Chapter 4

Four

I swear the idiot has equal to the supposed recovery rate of the AA.

He's up, bouncing around and bothering me in two days flat. Ridiculously healthy. A fluffy-blond-ball of hyperactive energy who resumed dashing about, eating us out of house and home and proceeding to thrash me at every game I owned for good measure. Thoroughly.

It's the trial tomorrow.

I wonder if he's forgotten.

I don't see how he could. It's written on a sticky note taped to the front of our shiny Smeg Fridge with a little Shuriken-shaped magnet.

We have a whole set of those magnets as Itachi sent them to us in the post while he was spending his gap year in Japan. I swear he only bought them so he could throw them at me when he got home.

Stupid brothers.

I pour Naruto an orange juice, and thrust it into his hand as he careers past with a stapler.

Why's he got a stapler?

I shrug it off and forget all about it, pouring my own glass and procuring a Jammie Dodger from the biscuit tin. I lean against the counter to slurp at my drink and watch a blur of blond whizz passed the doorway, blue eyes flashing a glance at me. It's like he's up to something. Suspicious. I shake my head and apply myself to munching my biscuit. I turn around to reach for another.

There's a loud clicking noise and I freeze up. A clicking noise... like a gun being loaded. My breath catches in my throat, I suddenly can't breathe. Someone's got a gun. There behind me. I can't breathe. How did they get in? Who was it? Naruto? Naruto's in danger! The sudden sharp snap of the trigger being pulled reverberates in the air. I whirl around, breath stuttering...

And a staple hits me in the nose.

Naruto stands there. Brandishing the stapler. Grinning like a mad man.

"I... I.. ur...Ow!" I find my voice above a roaring in my ears and gape lamely at him. His grin widens. Pulling myself together, I attempt to stuperfy him with my best glare... and fair miserably as he merely cackles like a man mad and leaps around, firing off staples. "Ow!" One ricochets off my cheek "Owww! Naruto! Stop it! You little..." I grab a roll of celotape off the counter and proceed to chase him round the house with it, trying to tape his dam mouth up.

That'll serve him right for laughing. I smile fondly despite myself to see my prisoner trying to pull celotape out his hair.

"Sasuke! I'll get you for that!"

**Ping. Ping. Ping.**

Staples left, right and centre, then...

**Click.**

He stares horrified at the staplegun in his hand.

He's out of stapes.

Naruto proudly declares that my grin at this news is evil enough to scare off a horde of Tibetan Yeti's with pickaxes.

Idiot.

I raise the celotape menacingly.

I so win.

**...**

**...**

**A.N: Sheesh, I've had this written since New Year... *facepalm* ... Sorry it's so short, got a one more to upload though **

**Thanks for reading, review?**

***Avoids readers with large pointy sticks who are trying to stab Lenle for her sheer laziness***

**XD**


	5. Chapter 5

Five

Naruto's haggard and pale beside me. In the docks. At the hearing.

Orochimaru's watching him. With slitted, golden eyes. Hungry eyes. Kai near him, a smirk plastered darkly across his face as he watched the blond boy beside me. My hand finds Naruto's arm. He leans into the comfort. His body feels so thin and weak pressed against my side. He's tense and shaking and white faced and his voice shakes with his arms. He answers every question from the stern looking judge, and at some point his hand wriggles its way into mine. Neither of us realise until the verdict for both men rings out clear in the air, and he jerks his hand away.

"Guilty."

His legs then give under him, and sags against me, whole weight in my arms.

Knees weak with relief.

"Sasuke..." He murmurs into my hair and I keep my arms tight around him, not caring whose watching as he sobs into my shoulder. "Sasuke..."

"It's over, Naruto; it's all, finally over."

His face turned up to look at me. Tears bubbling in the endless expanse of blue, a smile on his face.

...

That night we stayed up late, drinking hot chocolate and playing video games. Kai and Orochimaru were going to prison.

They'd never hurt him again.

It's during a ninja fighting game that his eyelids flutter closed, blinking to try and keep him awake. He falls asleep safely settled in my arms, his head a soft weight as he slouches against my chest.

_Naruto._

My hand finds his, and I watch his gentle breathing.

No one will ever hurt him again.

End.

...

**A.N. Ok... so now your all screaming 'what the hell was that horrendously short ending!' at me... oops... oh well... I'm working on something new! (and hopefully better) Will post the first chappies when I know where it's going **

**Thanks for reading peeps!**

**Review!**


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